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Latino Americans History Grant

June 15, 2015

Dr. Kanisorn Wongsrichanalai of Angelo State University’s History Department faculty and Kimberly Wirth, business manager and community engagement coordinator for ASU’s Porter Henderson Library, have been awarded a one-year $3,000 grant to present programs on campus and for the larger San Angelo community on the history of Latino Americans.

Dr. Kanisorn Wongsrichanalai Dr. Kanisorn Wongsrichanalai The grant is one of more than 200 awarded by the joint American Library Association (ALA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) program, “Latino Americans: 500 Years of History,” a public exploration of the rich and varied experiences of Latinos, who have helped shape the U.S. over the past five centuries and who have become, with more than 50 million people, the country’s largest minority group. The cornerstone of the project is the six-part, NEH-supported documentary “Latino Americans,” created for PBS in 2013 by the WETA public television station. The funds awarded to ASU will be used to present at least four programs, including two screenings of the Peabody-winning documentary, at locations in the community and on campus over the coming year.

Kimberly Wirth Kimberly Wirth Among the planned programs will be an event honoring Dr. Arnoldo de León, ASU’s C.J. “Red” Davidson Professor of History, for his contributions to Latino/Tejano historiography. An ASU alumnus and faculty member since 1972, De León is the author or editor of 20 major books, including “The History of Texas,” the best-selling collegiate text on the subject.

The NEH, created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the NEH and its grant programs is available at www.neh.gov.

Founded in 1876, the ALA is the oldest and largest library association in the world, providing association information, news, events, and advocacy resources for members, librarians, and library users. More information about the ALA is available at www.ala.org.